Resumen:
The Andes played an important role in the flora and fauna evolution of South America.
The Andes played an important role in flora and fauna evolution of South America.
The Centrolenidae family comprises more than 156 species with high diversity and
endemism in the Andes. Herein, we investigate the biogeographic history of this family
using molecular phylogenetics and dating, to determine the role of the Andean uplift in
the diversification of dorsal color patterns of species in the Neotropical region. For
phylogenetic reconstruction, we used data on the coloration patterns of 120 glass
frog species and sequences of nuclear genes (c-myc, POMC, and RAG-1) and
mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, and ND1). In addition, information on elevational
distributions was used for biogeographical reconstruction across ancestral areas
among lineages. We found that the rise of the Northern Andes is strongly associated
with lineage diversification processes during the last 10 million years, promoting the
evolution of color patterns in the altitudinal gradient. Biogeographically, highlands
harbor the greatest number of chromatic characteristics, both in life and in
preservation. Our study demonstrates the importance of mountain orogeny as driver
of rapid lineage diversification and color evolution patterns in the family
Centrolenidae in the Neotropics
